Process of making gas.



w. c. DAYTON.

PROCESS OF MAKING GAS. APPLICATION FILED JAN-25,1915.

1., 174 971 Patented Mar. 14,1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

www y W. W

W. C. DAYTON.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

PROCESS or MAKiNG GAS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.25| 1915.

W afinesses WVCnesses.

W. C. DAYTON. PROCESS OF MAKING GAS. APPLICATION FILED ]AN.25,1915.

1,134,971. Patented Mar. 14,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- VIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII'IIIA III/ll IIIII/II/IIII 0lnvenifor y. M Wali'ier C.Dayton w ya WM) burr Paar onic.

WALTER CLINT DAYTON, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGEH.S1VIII'I.IFI,

TRUSTEE, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

PROCESS OF MAKING GAS.

Jontinuation of application Serial No. 816,761,'fi1ed February 5, 1914.This application filed January 25, Serial No. 4,187.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER CLINT DAYTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Process of Making Gas,of which the following is a specification. I

The present application is a continuation of a former application,Serial No. 816,761, filed February 5, 1914.

My present invention relates to a method of making a combustible gas andits principal objects are to produce a uniform product of maximumcalorific value and to secure controllability of the volume or rate ofproduction without substantial variation of the calorific value andchemical composition of the gas.

In Patent No. 1,013,050 to Orr is described a method of makingcombustible gas by the chemical interaction of a hydrocarbon and airwhereby a mixture of the hydrocarbon and air is charged into a suitableconverter where partial oxidation occurs and the hydrocarbon isdecomposed, yielding a combustible gas. No provision is made to maintainthe proportion of hydrocarbon relative to the air constant.

I have discovered that a comparatively slight variation of proportion inthe mixture results in a change of decomposing temperature in theconverter and is suflicient to completely change the composition oftheresulting gas. Although the carbon dioxid content may be changed but afew per cent. in a given case, the relative percentages of carbonmonoxid, hydrogen, and of methane and other light hydrocarbon gases arematerially changed. For example, an increase in air content, increasesthe converter temperature and markedly decreases the percentage ofhydrocarbons in the resulting as.

b In accordance with my invention a uniform mixture of liquidhydrocarbon and a combustion-supporting gas, such as air, in constantlymaintained proportions suitable for securing the desired chemicalcombination is subjected to an elevated temperature Specification ofLetters Patent.

in a retort whereby the temperature of oxidation within the retortremains substantially constant, even when the rate of delivery of themixture is varied and hence the composition of the resulting gas issubstantially uniform.

Another aspect of my invention includes a method for varying the rate ofdelivery of a mixture of a combustible and air while maintaining apredetermined ratio of said materials substantially constant, by varyingthe pressure of the incoming air and varying the feed of the combustibleautomatically in step with and in response to the variation of airpressure while maintaining constant the valve openings and othermechanical adjustments. This feature of my invention is applicable tothe production of an oil and air mixture suitable for completecombustion as well as for furnishing a mixture suitable for making acombustible gas.

As will be pointed out with greater particularity in the claims andexplained hereinafter, the combustible is delivered at the inlet of themixing device in such a way as to substantially eliminate fluctuationswhich would be caused by the friction, inertia and variable hydrostatichead of a liquid column, and is introduced at a pressure derived in suchmanner from the air pressure as to feed the proper amount of thecombustible for different air pressures as to maintain the desiredratio.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one form of apparatus suitable forcarrying out the process constituting my invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a verticalview taken at right angles to Fig. 1, partly in section and partly inelevation; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a mixing device and aconverter for carrying out the process; and'Fig. 4 is a section of theconverter taken on the line ac-ea of Fig. 3. k 7

Referring to Fig. 2 the mixture of hydrocarbon or other combustible andair is introduced into a converter or retort 1, through a conduit 2, bya feed device 3, shown in greater detail in Fig. 3. Before describingthe details of construction of the converter .the hydrocarbon oil bymeans of a tube 5 which dips into a reservoir 6. The oil is introducedinto the reservoir by means of a conduit 7, Fig. 2, the openings 7 forwhich is indicatedpartly in solid and partly in broken lines in Fig. 3.More than sufl'icient oil to supply the required feed is introduced atall times and the excess is drawn ofl through an overflow pipe 8 so thatthere is maintained at all times a substantially constant level in thereservoir 6. Above the oil is maintained an air pressure substantiallyequal to the pressure of the air at its source by means of a branch pipe9 leading from the pipe 4, as shown in Fig. 2, the opening into thespace above the oil being indicated at 9, Fig. 3. The needle valve 10may be used to adjust initially the opening of the oil inlet from thereservoir to the tube 11 which introduces. the oil into the conduit 2.As the pressure necessary to overcome the negative hydrostatic pressureof the column .of oil from the constant level of oil to the opening ofthe needle valve 10 is negligibly low, the-fluctuations and variationsof oil delivery due to friction and inertia of a liquid column .arereduced to a negligible minimum. The efiective pressure upon the oilfeeding it into the conduit 2 is'equal to the difference between thepressure of the partly expanded air in the conduit 2 and the an and oilcondults are herein and in the initial air pressure upon the surface ofthe oil in the reservoir 6,. hence with the described construction theoil is introduced at all times at a pressure bearing such a relation tothe pressure of air that the ratio between the oil and air aremaintained substantially constant for difierent air pressures. Theneedle valve and accompanying appended claims referred to as a mixingdevice to'distinguish these partsfrom' the oil reservoir, which thoughit forms mechanically with the mixing device a unitary struc- .ture hasaseparate function, namely, to supply oil to the mixing device proper.

The air is supplied, as shown in Fig. 1, by an'air compressor 12 to amain 13 from which it is fed into the conduit 4. Two feed devices areillustrated in Fig. 1 each supplying a retort but of course as the twounits are identical reference in the description will be made to butone.

The oil is conveyed into the feed device by'means of an oil pump 14which is most conveniently connected to the shaft 15 and operated by thesame motor operating the air compressor, the oil being taken from a mainsupply tank 16 through the pipe 17 and forced into a pipe 18communicating with the pipe 7 leadlng to the feed device 3.

24 engages with the arm 22, thus opening the valve'21 and releasing theair pressure in the main 13. This has the effect of reduc-- ing thepressure of air in the air main and therefore both the pressures feedingair and oil. In this manner the rate at which gas is produced isautomatically controlled in accordance with the demand. Of course thisparticular device for adjusting the air pressure in accordance with thedemand for gas is merely illustrative, and other regulating allidcontrolling devices may be used in its p ace.

Referring again to Fig. 3, the mixture of air and oil is introduced intothe retort 1, shown in section, and passes back and forth through thebaffled interior of the retort, which is maintained at a temperature ofcombustion and is finally discharged through a conduit 25 surroundingthe conduit '2 which introduces the mixture of air and combustible. Theconnection of the conduit 25 to the gas holder has not been shown in thedrawing.

At starting the retort is heated in the following manner: A mixture ofcombustible and air is blown by means of a torch 26 into passage 27 Fig.2, passing through the housing 28 of the.retort,'and the burning gasespass up through the passages 29 through the housing which may consist offirebrick or other refractory material, andv are introduced into achamber 30 around the retort which is thus heated to a high temperature.More than one retort may be used, two being indicated by dotted lines inFig. l. The by-products of this combustion pass out through fiues 31into the base flue 32 and outthrough an exit pipe 33 into theatmosphere. The torch 26 may be supplied with air and combustible in anysuitable manner, most conveniently by feeding it with air by means of abranch pipe 34 from the air pipe 4 and with oil by means of a branchpipe 35 from the oil pipe 7.

During the preliminary heating the needle valve carrying a pointer 36,moving over a fixed graduated dial 37 may be closed. The valve 38 in theair pipe 4 may also be closed. With the retort l at a temperature ofabout 1400 F. the air pressure at a desired value, andthe oil reservoir6 filled conveying the entering mixture of air and to the desired level,the valve 38 is opened, thereby introducing air into the mixing devicepipe 2. Theneedle valve 10, Fig. 3, is thengradually opened, to supplyoil, the check valve 39 preventing any possible back flow of air orhydrocarbon from the feed device. The mixture of hydrocarbon and airenters the heated retort, passes back and forth through the passagesbetween the bafiies 40 as indicated by arrows, and undergoes chemicalreaction accompanied by partial combustion with the production of afixed combustible gas. The quantity of oil ed is gradually increaseduntil a gas of desired calorific value and chemical com- "position ismade, after which no further hand regulation of combustible and air isnecessary or desirable. The heated gases are discharged from the retortthrough the conduit 25 passing around the conduit 2 oil and thus'heatingthe mechanically atomiZed'hydrocarbOn oil to form a hydrocarbon vaporwhich is intimately mixed with the a1r.

In most cases the maintenance of the desired temperature will requiresome external heating in addition to the heat developed within theretoriliiy the partial combustion of the hydrocarbon. However. when itis permissible to make a gas relatively low in calorific value thepercentage of air may be made great enough to maintain the desiredtemperature in the retort without external heating.

The external heating of the retort should preferably be so adjusted thata temperature of about MOO-to 1600 F. is maintained, the specifictemperature depending on the composition of gas desired. This isaccomplished by taking gas as made, from the gas conduit 25 into thechamber 30 sov through a pipe 41.. Air is admitted through the conduit42 by opening a valve 43 ina branch pipe 44: of the air system and theair is conducted up through the casing 45 surrounding the housing 28 ofthe retort, and is'introduced into the chamber 30 surrounding the retortthrough holes &6, in the housing and casing. The combustion of the gasin the chamber '30, the quantity of which may be thermostaticallycontrolled, asslsts in maintaining the retorts heated to a temperaturenecessary to produce the desired gasification of the hydrocarbon and theproducts of this combustion pass out to the atmosphere through flues 31into the base flue 32 and out through exit pipe 33.

The following example is given asillustrative of the product made whenproceeding in accordance with my invention. Op-

erating preferably at a temperature of.

about 14:80 F. with a 38 Baum fuel oil containing about 80.3% carbon and19.7% hydrogen, I have obtained a gas having af- 7 ter purification acalorific value of about 190 B. t. u. per cubic foot and the followingapproximate chemical composition:

' Parts by volume.

The converter temperature as read from thermo-couples maintains itselfsubstantially constant with varying air feed pressures and consequentlyvarying rates of gas production .as the increased or decreaseddevelopment of heat units by the partial combustion within the retort issubstantially compensated by the greater rate of flow of the gases whichcarry away heat from the retort into the conduit 24. Were the ratio ofoil and air disturbed, the temperature within the retort will not remainconstant and the gas made will vary widely in composition. For example,should the quantity of oil be decreased the gas made not only willcontain less combustible matter, but the temperature of the retort willrise, the proportion of hydrocarbon gases will materially decrease and,the proportion of hydrogen and carbon monoxid will increase.

While I have described one form of apparatus suitable for carrying outmy invention, I wish it to be understood that this apparatus isillustrative only and I mean by the appended claims to cover the methodof making gas from any combustlble l1qu1d and any combustion-supportinggas in the described or equivalent apparatus.

\Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters'Patent of theUnited States, is

1. The process of making gas of substan- I tially eliminate the eflectsof friction and inertia of the liquid upon its delivery into the, mixingdevice, introducing said combustible into the mixing device in apredetermined ratio to the quantity of combustion-supporting gas, at apressure varying with the pressure of the combustionsupporting gas tomaintain said ratio con stant, varying the pressure of thecombustion-supporting gas when the amount of gas to be made is to bevaried, conducting the resulting mixture to, a heated zone to producechemical reaction, and recovering for use the products of saidreactions.

- value which consists in introducing air under pressure to a mixingdevice, independently delivering a combustible so close to the inlet ofsaid mixing device that fluctuations'of pressure due to friction andinertia are substantially absent, introducing said combustible into themixing device in such ratio to the quantity of air that the quantity ofair is insufiicient to completely burn the combustible and at a pressureautomatically varying with the air pressure to maintain said ratiosubstantially constant, conducting the resulting mixture to a heatedzone, permiting chemical reaction, and conducting away the products ofsaid reaction. v

. 3. The process of making gas of substantially uniform calorific valuefrom a liquid combustible which consists in introducing air underpressure to a mixing device, delivering a combustible against asubstantially constant and negligibly low 'hydrostatic head close to theinlet of said device to eliminate fluctuations of the discharge,introducing said combustible into the mixing device at a pressurederived from and varying with the air pressure to produce at differentair pressures a mixture of combustible and air in which the air isinsufficient in-amount to completely burn the combustible, varying theair pressure when the amount of gas is to be varied, correspondinglyvarying the pressure onthe combustible in response to said variation inair pressure to maintain the predetermined ratio substantially constant,conducting the.

resulting mixture in a heated zone to produce incomplete combustion andconducting away the products of said combustion.

4. The process which consists in delivering air under pressure to amixing device having air and oil inlets, independently supplying oil ata substantially constant level so close to the oil inlet as to substantially eliminatethe effects of inertia and friction, feeding the oilintosaid mixing device at a pressure equal to the difference between theinitial air pressure and the air pressure after partial expansion in themix- 5. The process of making gas of substan tially uniform calorific Ivalue which con-v sists in introducing air under pressureto a mlxlngdevlce, maintaining a supply of combustible at a substantially constantlevel and at a negligibly. low headso close to said mixing device thatvariations of influx of combustible due to friction, inertia andhydrostatic head are substantially absent,

introducing said combustible into the mixing device with an air injectorin desired proportion to the air,v varying the initial' pressure of theair when and while varying the rates of delivery of said vmaterialsthereby correspondingly 'varying the feed of said combustibleautomatically in response to said variation in air pressure to maintain-said proportions substantially constant, introducing the mixture to a'zone maintained at a temperature of oxidation and recovering theproducts of achemical reaction occurring in said zone.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day ofJanuary, 1915.

WALTER GLINTDAYTON. Witnesses:

Jo's. A. KIRSCH, G. V. ONEILL.

